Be Likable

To become a professional fisherman you have to know how to attract and hold sponsors who can help pay your entry fees and defray the cost of your living on the road. Most fishermen don't understand that just having the ability to catch fish won't attract sponsors. Let's look at some of the top bass anglers in the nation who have some of the best sponsors to learn how to get sponsors.

Ken Cook of Meers, Oklahoma, who has won more than $1/2 million on the B.A.S.S. professional bass-fishing tournament circuit, has won the Super Bass Tournament and the BASS Masters Classic.

"To get sponsors, you have to be a likable person so the public will buy the products you endorse," Cook explained. "You can't be a know-it-all and arrogant. You've got to be the kind of person someone will love to sit down with and talk to about fishing. You must be believable when you endorse products. But first you must have the ability to catch bass to attract the attention of potential sponsors and the press.

"If you have an aura of being a happy person, sponsors and the press will be drawn to you. Having the ability to attract people to you and the credibility of catching fish will make your value to sponsors extremely high."

Tomorrow: Be Selfless